


She Said I'm Lonely

by Bubblemage



Series: Archie/Riverdale verse [1]
Category: Archie Comics, Archie Comics & Related Fandoms, Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character Study, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Secret Relationship, implied/referenced betty/archie, this is my ship idfc
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-09
Updated: 2017-09-06
Packaged: 2018-11-30 01:05:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11452788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bubblemage/pseuds/Bubblemage
Summary: When all of Riverdale is overtaken by one of the original Families deciding to return to formal Riverdale glory; Archie can't help but think that it's poetic. Jughead agrees that in some sort of Poe meets Dickenson sense it is; meaning the only poetic thing about it is that someone had to die for it to happen, and the Lodge princess seems already dead.





	1. Bad karma

**Author's Note:**

> Riverdale and Archie verse AU, watched and read both and im throwing them both together with some influence from jughead's comic. It'll follow the canon storyline for the riverdale TV series, but i'll add things from the comics where i see fit. 
> 
> Im taken by this ship alright im so sorry, but i was sitting there thinking of WHAT IF and this happened. it started as a character study of everyone in riverdale and then this happened. sorry not sorry. 
> 
> i would also be a horrible person if i didn't say that this is heavily inspired by '(and i said what about) breakfast at tiffanys' by something different and 'You make me feel like i am home again' by izzybusiness. First two fics i read about my beautiful pairing and initially the foundation for it all. GO READ BOTH THEIR STORIES OK.

Archie spends the whole evening at the dinner waxing poetic about the raven haired Lodge family heiress. Betty’s face is a mix of heartbreak for her lost childhood love and thinly veiled agreement. Because how can one not agree that it was something similar to a noir novel when the heiress had decided to show up?   
  
The small town of Riverdale was rocked by the death of an upper-class child; where anyone and everyone could be the murderer or an accomplice. And yet, the camera pans over to the arrival of a sleek city car that slowly pulls to the front of an old hotel on the outskirts of the town; it’s been raining and the emergence of the Lodge family marks the start of a power struggle. 

 

Archie doesn't see it in such a way and easily shakes off Jughead’s train of thought. 

 

“You gotta think about it in a more poetic way dude!” His right-hand flies out as if to signal or sign what a more poetic use of words would entail; in turn knocking over his milkshake and sending the light pink substance to run down the table and drip onto the floor. Betty’s sigh echoes throughout the empty dimly lit diner, and Jughead finds himself throwing a stack of napkins at the ginger haired boy as he takes a large bite from his burger. 

 

“Look”-he says between mouthfuls-”It's not like we don't know what's going on with the Lodges.” Betty’s taking a sip of her chocolate milkshake before she launches into a full on explanation that she’d heard VIA her mother working at the newspaper. 

 

“Something about bad investment and them having their assets being frozen.” She says in an afterthought, her attention half on the movement of her straw mixing the whipped cream into the chocolate substance and the other half drawn to the plate of fries that rest between the three of them. She’s plucking one off the plate and placing it into her mouth when Archie sighs and Jughead happens to simply shrug in response.

 

“You’ve turned into Troy Bolton from high school musical Via the sound of music.” Jughead adds before reaching for the laptop on the seat beside him and quickly typing down a variation of the sentence he’d just spoken; albeit with a bit more snark. 

 

“You just going to document every little thing that happens?” Archie bites out then, he’s doing more harm than good when it comes to cleaning the milkshake from the table.

 

“He’s going to turn this grim town murder into a bestselling book.” Betty says before dipping a fry into the shake and holding it before Archie who easily accepts the sweet and salty treat.

 

“Someone has to document it, why not me?” Jughead supplies before scrolling through the word document he has written and quickly reading through it.

 

“When this all blows over I want it to be as accurate as possible to what happens to the town and people, right now i’m kinda just documenting what people are saying and feeling.”   
  
“Why not just solve the murder?” Archie questions; the mess he’s made is more or enough clean, and the pile of sopping napkins is sitting on the now empty plate of fries. He’s trying to fish his phone from the varsity jacket he’s wearing, having heard it chime only moments earlier when he utters this idea. Archie finds himself looking between the two of his friends when he takes note of the expressions the two are sharing. Shaking his head, he tries to keep his attention on his phone and the message sent to him when the booth he’s sitting in suddenly feels smaller.

 

Groaning, he leans back into the cushion of the booth and lets his gaze jump from Betty (who’s scooted to be glued right to his side) and Jughead (who’s hands are planted firmly on the table he’s leaning over, his face only inches from Archie’s) 

 

“I have football practice every day after school...”He starts then in a matter of fact manner.

 

“But”-He’s immediately cut off by a chorus of yeses that are bellowed by Betty and a mischievous grin courtesy of Jughead-”BUT, Ms.Grundy is also helping me with music, so this would have to be after all of that.” He says as he moves to stand from the booth.

 

“I’ve got to head home, it’s half past eight and I'm pushing it as it is with my dad.” Pulling his keys from his pocket he dangles them between the pair.

 

“Anyone need a ride? Oil’s been changed and whatnot.” Sighing, Betty stands from the table.

  
“Only because I changed it. Get a new car.” She’s pulling on her jacket and making her way towards the front of the diner when she turns to look back at Jughead.

 

“You not coming?” She asks, her gaze jumping from the half-eaten burger on the plate next to him (his fourth in the last hour) and his laptop.

 

“I wanna try and edit what I have done, not to mention our chauffeur here has an unreliable ride.” Betty nods in agreement and Archie visibly deflates. Dropping ten dollars on the table to cover his and Betty’s shakes, he waves his goodbye to Jughead. 

  
  
  
-  
  
  
  


When Jughead first sees Veronica he’s left with a bad taste in his mouth and strange nostalgia for vintage Hollywood. She’s dressed and walking in a way that screams  _ money _ and yet her eyes look hollow and sad. It's as if she has some idealized version of herself in her mind and she just happens to be disappointed at every choice she’s been making from this point on. She seems so  _ un _ -Riverdale and cliche; yet somehow walking down the halls of the school as if they were erected around her every step that it's difficult to pull his gaze away from the scene she’s single-handedly orchestrating. 

 

And yet he’s left with this all-encompassing unimpressed feeling and severe distaste that boils down to the single descriptive word of ‘meh’. 

 

Kevin and Betty are on either side of her, looking all like the supporting characters they are in this scene when Veronica halts her steps and an eerie fire seems to have ignited itself within her eyes.

 

“Wonderful, ten minutes in and I'm already the ‘Blue Jasmine’ of Riverdale High..” 

 

This is when Jughead comes to the realization that he cannot and never will be able to fucking stand Veronica Lodge. 

  
  
-  
  


_ ‘Cheryl is the female half of the elegantly creepy and possibly incestuous Blossom twins.’  _ Jugheads fingers are gliding over the keys on his laptop when the female in mention is taking the podium to speak about her  _ missing _ twin bother. There is a strange air about the whole story in general that just doesn't sit with him right, and while Betty seems to share his sentiments, he can’t bring himself to speak with Archie without her acting as some sort of buffer. 

 

Jughead can't properly place his finger on what caused their friendship to deteriorate into this tentative thing that feels like they are faking civility for the sake of old childhood memories, but it seems to be an active thing on both their behalfs to try and salvage what friendship they can. 

 

His attention is drawn back to the scene below when Cheryl’s voice cracks when she utters her brother's name and suddenly his fingers are moving over the keys once more.

 

_ ‘The blossoms twins had decided for some strange reason that they would take a boat ride down Sweetwater if only to enjoy one another’s company when the female half of the twins supposedly lost her glove to the current and her brother had attempted to grasp it. Such a small thing resulting in his ultimate demise, and yet there was nobody.’  _ He purses his lips tightly and stops himself from backspacing the whole paragraph. 

 

To say the story was strange would be a horrible understatement, but everyone seemed to think that. 

 

Now, he wasn't a twin by any means, but Jughead did have a little sister whom he loved and adored; and they’d never done anything remotely strange like that. Could it be because the Blossoms came from money and rich people were bored? Possibly. But that didn't rule out the fact that Jason Blossom was a seasoned swimmer. While the current did have a possibility to pull anyone under, the fact that the Blossoms were known for taking boat rides frequently and yet returning unharmed posed an even bigger question for Jughead.

 

What really happened?


	2. Crying without knowing why

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Veronica Lodge" He types-'Was still living despite the part of her that was already dead. She told Cheryl Blossom once 'don't worry about me, worry about your eyebrows' , was the best friend of Betty Copper, love interest of Archie Andrews and was completely and utterly alone in her sadness.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want this to focus more so on Jughead and Veronica with everything going on in Riverdale as a backdrop. I want to develop the main characters more (Betty, archie, kev and Cheryl) and work on their interactions more. Some stuff that happens in the show i'll write over (i.e- those horrible kisses wtf)

The light drizzle that seems to overtake the town of Riverdale is seen as an omen to one Jughead Jones The III. He doesn't dare say such a thing out loud lest he earn the strange stares of his equally worried and equally teenage friends. Sometimes he likes to fancy himself an adult, like moments like these when the rain is audibly pelting down onto the roof of this dimly lit sanctuary and the wind outside is scarce in comparison to the heavy silence that falls over what he has come to call his _friends_.

_‘_ _Weekdays, from 8:25am to 3:01pm we adhere to a strict regimen. Everything in our lives is controlled, but then something like the murder of Jason Blossom happens and you realize, there is no such thing as control, there is only chaos. Nevertheless, some of us strive to impose and maintain order, in what is, fundamentally, an orderless world. A fact which would very soon be confirmed, in ways none of us could have foreseen. ‘_ He stops typing the moment Kevin starts to speak again.

There's only so many ways you can hear about how a dead body looks before you can't stop the image from permanently being scorched into the back of your eyelids. Betty’s hand is rubbing smooth circles into the small of Kevins back and the sweet drink he's ordered has started to melt, the whipped cream is steadily running down the edge of the glass and the cherry resting on the table where it’d fallen minutes earlier.

Cheryl’s arrest had shaken the town of Riverdale to the core but none had been as shaken as Cheryl; she who only knew exactly what was supposed to have come out of all of this.

Veronica isnt looking for the _‘Scooby Gang’_  when she enters the diner late into the evening; she’s looking for her mother and instead finds them. She has no intention of walking back to the group and joining their conversation, she wants to make sense of the words Cheryl had uttered to her in the locker room the night of the pep rally;  her mind keeps stopping where Cheryl had said Jason was supposed to “come back”.  She thinks is strange how she and Cheryl are similar due to being struck by tragedy.

And sure, Veronica’s father didn't wash up on the shore having been killed a week after his supposed departure from the land of the living; but he was dead all the same. She touches the pearl necklace that rests at her neck in a nervous manner before waving down one of the other waitresses in search of her mother. She wants to turn and leave the diner but her gaze catches Jugheads cold stare and suddenly Betty is turning around with Kevin in tow. Her name is called across the diner and she forces a smile on her red lips and walks toward the group.

Veronica seems to have a habit of showing up into spaces she doesn't belong and this has Jughead viciously taking a bite of his burger.

“How are you doing Kev?” She asks then, her voice soft and dripping with so much sincerity that Jughead is positive this is part of her ‘New Veronica’ persona. She looks at Kevin like he’s some lost puppy and Jughead stands from the table and makes his way towards the bathrooms in the Diner. Making a scene is the least of his intentions, but it's apparent that Betty worries just enough to come after him.

He thinks that Archie is missing out on a perfect thing. Because Betty is every bit the girl next door with just enough spice to keep anyone on their toes. But he’s looking back and all he can see is Kevin leaning into Veronica and her hand lightly cupping his cheek as she talks to him. It's not a romantic scene in the least; but for an outsider like him looking in, it feels forced.

“I know you’ve been typing down everything you see and hear and this has to be horrible on you. Do you not want to find out who killed Jason anymore?”

  
“What?” he utters it with just enough disgust and shock that Betty takes a step back. He doesntmean for it to come out that harsh, but the idea that Betty seems to think this whole scene of his stems from the death of Jason is Appalling. And then suddenly he feels so disgusting for discarding all that Kevin is going through to glare daggers at everyone's precious _Ronnie_.

“I feel like we have to do this more than ever”-she starts slowly, her gaze jumping from Kevin to Jughead-”At least so he can get some sleep. I think we have a better chance of solving this compared to everyone else.” She’s wrapping her arms around herself and her attention is still on Kevin where he’s still leaning onto Veronica. His weary face is far more illuminated by the red light the diner sign gives off.

Jughead wants to tell her that of course he feels horrible for Kevin having stumbled upon the body and for Cheryl having to deal with the knowledge of her brother's death. But for some reason all this tragedy is doing nothing more but changing this mundane world of Riverdale into a different form. Or, It is for him.  
  
He can't tell if all this spite is just directing itself at the Lodge Princess because it has nowhere else to go and she’s the only change in his world of _constant_ or because she is genuinely hiding something that is making his subconscious go crazy. And god does he want to tell Betty or even Archie about it, but he **_can't_**.

So he decides to nod his head in agreement to the words Betty is saying and take this time to compose himself before making his way back to the table.

 

-

 

_“If you’re busy you won’t think about it.”_ Hermione Lodge says easily over her glass of wine. Her gaze roaming over words on the page before her just as she hastily scribbles something onto a pad near the stack of papers; her handwriting elegant and so _Lodge,_ that Veronica has to force herself not to retort in a snappy manner.

The issue isn't that Veronica can't _not_ think about it (it being her father's incarceration) and in all honesty she is busy (joining a cheerleading squad with new found best friend Betty is a way to be busy she hastily thinks) but this town itself is so eerily alien that she can’t find herself properly fitting in.

And she doesn't want to fit in exactly, she just wants to find a way to be herself without actually being herself. Because something strange happens when the rug is pulled from beneath your feet and yet somehow despite a horrible stumble you are still able to stand upright. But Riverdale is not upper Manhattan and Veronica cannot dig out her niche with Cheryl Bombshell breathing down her neck because she seems to have this groundbreaking fear that Veronica actually wants to be the princess of this podunk town.

Newsflash, she doesn't.

The issue stems from something far more upsetting and so obviously the whining of a rich bratty child that Veronica can’t even make herself say it out loud. It’s a cocktail of teen-angst bullshit, self-loathing topped narcissism, and the knowledge that she’s living in some artsy European movie that's so sad and yet nothing of importance seems to be happening to her. Because her new found best friend has a crush on the same boy she happens to be fawning over and while she thought that was grounds for a null friendship somehow Betty still wants to be friends with her.

Veronica wants to say all of this and more, but when she looks up from her plate of eggs and toast, her Mother is engaged in a heated phone call and in the midst of flipping through pages.

_‘Vol 8 of things I was gonna say’_ She thinks as she’s standing from the table and slipping her feet into a pair of Louboutins, her Gucci handbag resting in the crook of her elbow and her Burberry jacket draped around her shoulders.  

Maybe she doesnt have a lot to complain about in the first place.

 

 

Betty is waving at Veronica as she makes her way into the lunchroom; She effortlessly glides into the space with such an air of refinery that its suffocating and Jughead has to fight to keep his eyes from rolling into the back of his head. Kevin stands from the table with some airy excuse Jughead isnt paying attention to and makes his way toward her. 

“Have you seen Archie?” Betty asks then; she’s pushing some weird mashed substance across her tray but her gaze is jumping from the empty seat at the table beside her to the lunchroom as a whole. Jughead opens his mouth to make a smart retort before pausing, his brow furrowing as he thinks it over.

“I got a text from him last night but...” She trails off and shrugs, sadness practically oozing from her.

“You guys fight?” He really doesn't care enough for an answer, but Betty is obviously itching to talk to someone else about it and not just write it down in the diary he knows she keeps. Some part of him is positive it has something to do with veronica.

“No it's just Veronica-”He’s rolling his eyes hard enough that he’s sure he’ll get a headache afterwards, and instead of saying what he really thinks about Betty’s and Archies _Ronnie_ he opts to instead take a sip from his bottle of water-”I know they like each other but it's  _suffocating_.” She drops her fork onto the tray and rubs at the palm of her hands in a nervous manner.

“She isn't going after him...she knows how I feel but..” Jughead feels for her, he really does. If this isn't another tick onto _‘Reasons why Archie Andrews is a dick’_ then it’s just a better reason to shove Veronica into a folder deemed for the unimportant people of Riverdale.

Betty knows the reason this happens to be such a horrible situation in all is that despite the fact that Veronica has backed off from Archie and officially friendzoned him, it's the way he _looks_ at her _._ It makes her feel like a horrible friend to the both of them. But she doesn't think jughead needs to hear all that, especially considering the pair of them are at least attempting to rekindle whatever friendship is left between them. She wants to ask what happened, so bad she’s dubbed it ‘the lipstick situation’; and while neither appreciates such a code name, they haven't done anything to deter her from referring to it as such.

She finds herself thinking back to what's happened over summer in the form of bullet points. Little things like so:

-Archie got abs and got hot  
-Jugheads dad left again  
-Jughead and Archie aren't friends  
-Kevin and moose hooked up (i.e moose is in the closet???)  
-Jason is dead  
-Polly Left due to emergency (Call to check up on)    
-Veronica is currently her ride or die

  
She’s pulled from her musings when Kevin takes his seat back across from her with Veronica at his side. She looks like she wants to ask a question, and Betty commends her for holding out.

“Don't you look adorable.” She says instead, gesturing to Betty’s river vixen attire with a finger. Kevin immediately launches into full questionnaire mode causing the girls to break out into a fit of giggles. Jughead finds it easy enough to slip from the table without Betty or Kevin taking notice, but he can't say the same for Veronica. Her gaze flitters between the laughing pair and makes eye contact just as he’s leaving the lunchroom.

It's like a cold bucket of water has been dumped on him; like he was caught doing something he was definitely _not_ supposed to be doing. He sneers in her direction, but she’s already looking back at Betty in pure adoration.

Jerking his headphones onto his head, he’s making his way down the hallway when movement in one of the classrooms draws his attention. There's alot of things he was expecting to stumble upon, but not Archie looking lovingly into the face of one Ms.Grundy.

He’s shocked that his first train of thought is ‘what about Veronica?’ but that quickly gets stomped down when he realizes his childhood friend is in engaged in a relationship with a teacher.

 

-

 

 Veronica has heard nothing but how horrible and evil her father was. She has this ability (maybe because she happens to be his child) to disconnect her father and his job from one another. Her father took her to plays, watched old Hollywood movies with her, and lavished her with gifts. Sure he did the last one as a form of apology for whenever he did something wrong but that doesn't change the fact he was involved with her life. 

_'For my father, who is not evil.'_ she thinks as she sits in the back of Pop's Diner, her spoon absentmindedly stirring the melted vanilla ice cream and fudge into a strange brown colored mixture. she looks up when she hears the rowdy voices of teenagers near the front, obviously drunk and loudly whispering lewd comments about her mother.

_' Well, maybe a little bit...'_ she cracks the porcelain bowl when she stabs into the brownie. Because isn't it his fault that she and her mother are stuck in this situation? She quickly picks the bowl up and places it atop a napkin to avoid causing her mother any more trouble; she already as to deal with so much.  
  
She's watching her mother pick up coins as tips from another table when she feels a stray tear slide down her cheek. The door chimes to signal the arrival of another customer and her mother is busy behind the counter but still manages to shout out a cheery  _'welcome!_ ' 

Jughead finds himself in the diner not due to hunger, but because of what he witnessed several hours before. He wants to take this time to write and edit what he has so far of his story and an endless supply of burgers and fries seems like it will set him straight. He takes note of Veronica before she see's him; her gaze is glued to a table of teenagers who are still talking about her mother in a disgusting manner and he can see the tears that stream down her face before she hastily wipes them away when her mother approaches.   
  
She shakes her head at whatever her mother is asking and shoots a dazzling smile at the older Lodge. Jughead watches her wipe beneath her eyes to keep what he assumes is her eyeliner from running when Mrs.Lodge calls out his name.   
  
"The usual?" She asks. He smiles and nods before pulling his laptop from his bag and setting it up on the table.  
  
_'Veronica Lodge"_ He types- _'Was still living despite the part of her that was already dead. She told Cheryl Blossom once 'don't worry about me, worry about your eyebrows' , was the best friend of Betty Copper, love interest of Archie Andrews and was completely and utterly alone in her sadness.'_


	3. She said 'Dont make people suffer for your personal hatred'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Guess who is lonely and pathetic' she says, except that isn't even remotely close to what she's said and yet that's all Jughead can read from this situation. Because she's sitting beside him just as Betty makes her way across the room to Archie and Jughead can't help but think that if brokenness is a form of art, then Veronica Lodge must be a masterpiece.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this runs through episodes 3 and 4 and is starting to focus more so on Jughead and Veronica.

Nervous ticks are a thing that everyone seems to have no ability to properly hide. Betty Cooper for example had a habit of digging her nails into her hands till they bled, Kevin Keller did his best to avoid eye contact, Archie Andrews couldn't lie to save his life, and Jughead Jones was the type to say something mean and vindictive.    


Veronica Lodge on the other hand seemed to smile. Its as if that was her response to everything; Tits and Teeth. Bright smile, puffed out chest, and faux confidence. He wasn't sure what was causing him to take Veronica out of the box of  _ ‘Riverdale misc’  _ and suddenly place her in his main cast but it was happening and it was far too late to stop it.

He thinks the first time he takes notice is because she has her own special brand of recklessness. It isn't like what some teenagers do (him and his friends included) Like drink, do drugs, sleep around; Or in his and Betty’s case try and solve a murder while their mutual friend fucks a teacher. Veronica’s reckless is something a little bit more deep seeded and he’s actually growing more confused by the fact no one is taking note of it.

For starters, she never looks both ways before crossing the street. It seems she just listens for a moment and then just walks. He’s writing of his notice of this due to the fact that he’s writing a story about the people of Riverdale; and because Veronica has just started to become interesting.

But to say that it didn't genuinely worry him at the time, well that would be a lie.

Because They were all standing on one side of the street and Kevin and Betty had beckoned her over like a flame to a moth. She’d simply turned and walked ;narrowly missing being run over by a car of teens too focused on getting home to pay attention. But the shock that was on her face wasn't the shock of someone narrowly avoiding death, but more so the shock of someone expecting something and getting something far different.

Veronica Lodge doesn't do what other rich girls do. Cheryl locks herself in her room and cries all night over the death of her brother and uses being a heinous bitch as a tactic to deal with her underlying family issues. He thinks that maybe Veronica was the type of person to buy expensive things when she was upset before locking them in her closet to never touch again.

That maybe this girl has a closet dedicated to things she’s bought when she was sad; brand new without tags and obviously not her size just shoved into a closet; things she grabbed on a whim because she thought they would make her happy. The epitome of ‘Buy a Chanel and get over it’

He takes this moment to move his hands off the keyboard and the document he’d suddenly reserved to psychoanalyzing Veronica to Greet Betty and Kevin, yet Ignore Veronica. If Betty takes notice, she doesn't say anything. Sometimes he’s torn between being a good person and doing the right thing; and at this particular moment he’s not sure how he’s supposed to proceed.

Because his childhood best friend is engaged in a pedophilic relationship with a school teacher, who of which heard a gunshot but is keeping this child quiet by the powers bestowed by her magic cooch. And while he hasn't been able to tell Archie as such (because this stupid teenage boy seems to think that this adult woman actually cares for him and isn't using him to fix her own issues) it seems that he really doesn't know anything about Archie Andrews anymore, does he?

Because this whole thing is just now starting to blow up in Archie's face and this lovestruck idiot isn't even aware. It's one thing to decide to come forward and say he heard a gunshot while at the lake early July fourth with his dog (and really? Dog Archie? That's the best you could come up with?) But him and Grundy couldn't even cover their tracks enough to make a feasible lie because fucking Dilton Doiley saw Ms.Grundy’s car.  

And as if on cue, who walks in if not for the Andrews plus one Grundy. He’s too wrapped up in the fact that Archie is actually sitting across from Grundy to stop Betty from destroying actual lives and suddenly Veronica is asking questions. Whereas he understands how she’s worried she’s caused a problem between her two friends, he can't help but deem her sufficiently selfish in this moment.

“What was it like before she got here? I honestly cannot remember..” Kevin says then before taking a bite out of an onion ring and sitting back into the booth to properly spy out the window.

 

_ ‘Peaceful’ _  Jughead thinks

 

 

 

 

  
  


Veronica grew up speaking Spanglish. Whereas her mother was fluent in her native tongue, Veronica knew just enough to get by in terms of conversation and reading. Sometimes her mother would speak in spanish just to be sure Veronica didn't lose that part of her heritage; now it seemed to be used a tool to hide things from her daughter. 

Pop’s was the equivalent of the kitchen that rested in their Manhattan home. Always calm and inviting, and no one really entered it late at night. So she lied about staying the night at Betty’s to spend as long as possible in the Diner. If only to think to herself over fries and a sundae

_ ‘I want to understand....I wanna stop hurting..’ _ She dips the fry into the fudge, her legs stretched out on the seat next to her as she rests her head against the cool window.  _ ‘I want a haircut...’ _  She thinks she’s worrying about trivial things, but she remembers how in science that very morning they were learning about how Humans are actually social creatures, but she doesn't mind the silence or being alone.

But there is a drastic difference between white noise and being lonely.

Because there is nothing romantic or intriguing about how its tweleve AM and she’s eating fatty food and half reading a Japanese poetry book for a paper she has to write for English. She drops the book onto her lap and pulls her legs up; her heels discarded somewhere under the table and the skirt of her dress just barely covering her modesty at this point.

Lately it's as if she’s been outgrowing certain things. Old clothes and shoes for starters, books and movies she used to adore, and people. But most of all feelings.

There was this song that didn't really remind her of anything, and it wasn't particularly melancholic but when she would listen to it she would feel blue; although it was what she would consider a comforting shade of blue. At times like these she thinks the song was about the cure to loneliness and how it wasn't found in other people. So she’d tried her best to vow off dependency and keep pretense tied to her forehead. But she knows she isn't as singular or alone in the way she likes to assume she is.

_ ‘Nostalgia is a dirty liar that insists things were better than they seemed’  _ She jams the fry into her mouth and drops her legs onto the seat with an audible thud. Grabbing the book from her lap she drops it onto the table and decided to properly look at the poem she’s supposed to be dissecting for her paper.

なるかみの, すこしとよみて,

さしくもり,

あめもふらぬか,

きみをとどめむ

[A faint clap of thunder,

Clouded skies,

Perhaps rain will come.

If so, will you stay here with me?]

She thinks it’s fitting when a light drizzle finds it way onto the window she’s leaning against and the door chimes to acknowledge the arrival of another customer. She turns her head and looks over to make eye contact with Jughead. A clap of thunder rattles the Diner. He looks torn between sitting right where he’s standing and making his way toward her, so she makes it easier on him and smiles before turning her attention to a book she obviously doesn't to read.

He’s taking the seat across from her and setting up his laptop when another clap of thunder rumbles overhead and his gaze has just briefly caught her own once more.

_ ‘Avoir un coup de foudre’  _ She thinks with a smile wry smile, her eyes going over the next part of the poem.

なるかみの,すこしとよみて,

ふらずとも,

われはとまらむ,

いもしとどめば

[A faint clap of thunder,

Even if rain comes or not,

I will stay here,

Together with you.]

  
  
  


 

 

It's an hour past before either one of them open their mouths to speak, and the only reason she does is that she really doesn't want to eat more fries and she hadn't come to this conclusion before ordering another basket. So she pushes it toward Jughead and takes a sip from her soda before scribbling down something in her notebook about her poem.

“Sorry about the Drive In.” She says then. They never got a chance to properly speak about it earlier, and in all honestly she does feel for him. Something about one’s only source of happiness being torn away really resonates with her.

“It’s the age of netflix and VOD, who really wants to sit in a car and watch a film anymore.” He muses aloud, but he accepts the fries with a nod of his head as his gaze roams over the word document before him.

“People who want the vintage aesthetic and atmosphere.”- Veronica supplies with a shrug before taking another sip of her soda.-“Oh, and to make out in said vintage aesthetic.” she continues with a small smile.

Jughead thinks it's the first genuine smile he’s seen on her lips in a while.

“Are you seriously okay though?” She asks, her red lipstick faded and what little bit he can take notice of is wrapped around the tip of the straw she still has between her pearly white teeth.

“The drive in closing is just one more nail in the coffin that is Riverdale. No, Forget Riverdale- in the coffin that is the American dream.”

“So this is definitely not just about you losing your job.” Jughead opens his mouth to retort but closes it. He thinks that Veronica might actually get him, but he shoves that thought into the back of his mind.

“The Twilight Inn should mean something to us, people should be trying to save it.” He says easily then, another fry finding its way into his mouth while Veronica raises a perfect eyebrow at him and sighs.

“That bad huh?” He shoots her this look that says ‘end of conversation’ and Veronica graciously accepts defeat in the form of another mouthful of soda and raising her book back into view.

“I’m thinking American Graffiti for closing night, or is that too obvious?” He stops typing mid word to stare shocked at his computer screen.

“I took you for more of an Audrey Hepburn type girl.” he says then after a moment, his mouth suddenly dry. Veronica looks at him over her book and laughs, sliding her drink across the table to him for which he can't help but accept.

“Don’t get me wrong, i’m all for ‘Funny Face’ and whatnot, but sometimes you gotta make a statement? I thought that’s what you were going for with your whole Dexter meets James Dean vibe.”

“My aesthetic is far too complex for you to pin.” He says with a laugh then, his lips wrapping around the straw with a faint thought about Veronica’s lips having been there moments earlier.

“I feel like you have a Pinterest board just for indie films and black.”   


“And yours is probably for Classic Hollywood makeup.” He retorts.

“You definitely are the type of person to watch X Files with the lights off on a Friday night. Writing fanfiction about Mulder and Scully’s love.”

“You saying they shouldn't be together?” They’re both smiling brightly at one another at this point.

“Course not, don't you see how he looks at her when she’s not paying attention? That's true love right there. Aliens and all.” She’s going back to her book as she finishes her sentence, but Jughead can't shake this feeling that he’s uncovered some part of the real Veronica Lodge.

He wants to know who did this to her. Who exactly fucked her up in such a way that she completely shuts out anything but superficial emotions and doesn't give anyone the chance to see her feelings; to see her.

But once you care you’re fucked; and Jughead was royally fucked.

 

 

 

“This was not how I was expecting to spend my teenage years..” Veronica mumbles as she watches Betty break into Ms.Grundy’s car. She can't help but be a little bit in awe of this beautiful blonde haired girl and shocked as to why Archie isn't looking at her the same way she is. But then the car door is swinging open and they’re going through all of Grundy’s items and it feels like an episode of law and order.   
  
As if on cue, Betty starts reciting the opening lines and both the girls share a look before making the ‘dun dun’ noise together. Veronica is stifling a laugh (because they’re supposed to be taking this seriously damn it!) and finds herself gasping when she stumbles across ID with the name ‘Jennifer Gibson.’ Betty mumbles an ‘i told him so’ and grabs the ID from Veronica to look closer at it.

“Why even take a fake name though if you’re going to keep the old ID?” She curls her lips in distaste and shifts to look through the center console when Veronica suddenly freezes. 

“Our lives are like a collection of poorly made decisions with alternative music playing in the background.”She states and before Betty can question what Veronica is getting at, she pulls a handgun out. 

The next morning is a special breed of chaos. With Grundy being forced to take off into the night to avoid being arrested, Archie is not only heartbroken but irritated with his small group of friends. And while its understandable why they all jumped in the way they did; Jughead can also understand why his friend would be in such a state. 

The final night of the drive in was a beautiful affair (if he says so himself) and while he's not a fan of James Dean, he felt it was a better option to fall back on then Veronica's original idea (Kevin swooned at the thought of James Dean on the big screen) and just sitting up there to recollect on the glory days was something he wasn't opposed to doing. Veronica had offered for him to sit with her and Kevin but he'd politely declined and she'd easily backed off.   
  
He's not sure if this is a friendship thing they're starting to work up to or if they're just gravitating to one another because the other halves of their friend group of experiencing their own turmoil. Regardless, he thinks it better not to dwell on it. He'd spent the morning packing up what was left of his items and engaging in his own form of 'American Grafitti' that had earned him an awkward conversation with his Father and the concrete knowledge that nothing was ever going to go back to the way it was. 

And he wasn't sure if that was such a bad thing.

'Guess who is lonely and pathetic' she says, except that isn't even remotely close to what she's said and yet that's all Jughead can read from this situation. Because she's sitting beside him just as Betty makes her way across the room to Archie and Jughead can't help but think that if brokenness is a form of art, then Veronica Lodge must be a masterpiece. The lunchroom is bustling and she's obviously putting in an effort to make it seem like she's perfectly alright and there are zero issues in her life. She's as put together as always  


Looking back at this moment as he writes it later on in the day He'll recount just how tired she looks and how for some reason her clothing doesn't scream opulence anymore but rather reeks of disinterest;How her once carefully orchestrated attire suddenly looks thrown on straight from a hamper and worn out without a care. He'll wonder why he didn't ask her if she was ok and why he instead opted to strike up conversation with Kevin.

He'll try and reason that it was to confirm if the rumors were true; Sheriff Keller's evidence pertaining to Jason's murder has been stolen. But in all honesty, he knows it's because he didn't want to shatter the ice queen. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Avoir un coup de foudre is French for 'to have a thunder clap' but refers to love at first sight. Yes, I took some dialogue from the show and switched it around. I felt like this needed to happen to at least put them on better terms. I'm playing around with the sad little rich girl trope that they used in the show with Cheryl and applying it to Veronica with my own twist. Poor baby obviously has some unresolved issues regarding her father.


	4. C’est la fucking vie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I just cried while eating a bowl of cereal." She says then, she's lightly running her fingertips beneath her eyes to stop her eyeliner from smudging, and Jughead thinks it's a beautiful display of what strength could be. "Everything is draining and I'm tired of begging for good things to happen." He feels like he's interrupting even though she's unaware that he's even on the other side of the corner. "Is being too sad an excused absence?" He hears a faint voice on the line and suddenly Veronica's sniffling in a broken manner yet mumbling "I love you too daddy.."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thank you for the nice comments omg you guys seriously makes this far more fun to write. This chapter will run through episodes 5-7 I'll try my best to upload every 3-5 days depending on how easy it is to write. But being as im editing the main storyline as i write its a little hard.
> 
> excuse any typos, this was supposed to be posted on the 16, but i had this done during an inspirational moment

Hermione Lodge had drilled into her daughter's head that Money did not in anyway equal class; this was something that had proven to be true when Cheryl's parents felt the need to mention her Father. There were a multitude of things running through her mind and on the tip of her tongue. Like how her mother still cooked dinner despite the fact they were filthy rich and cared enough to check on the state of her daughter; how despite the fact her Father was the head of a company he still spent time with her and wasn't completely absent.

That _maybe_ they should pay more attention to the mental state of their fucking daughter then try to make a fifteen-year-old cry. But, she swallows the disgusting ham and fights back the urge to gag to instead indulge the Blossom patriarch in his heinous need to show how powerful he is in his own fucking house.  

“It must have been hard for you, watching your Father being handcuffed and dragged out of your home in front of you and your neighbors...all those reporters.” He’d said in faux curiosity and caring; as if he wanted to know exactly how she dealt with that situation.

She wants to tell him how much her mother screamed and sobbed, how Hermione _fucking_ Lodge was held back by **three** officers as she wailed at her husband's arrest. How the sad little Lodge princess had her hand held but one of the Elderly tenants who lived in her high-class building and how everyone was far more interested in getting pictures of her sobbing mother and herself. Veronica didn't scream or shout; didn't cause even a scene. She’d stood back and fought back tears, her eyes staring directly at her father as he was pushed into that car.

Her Father who, just moments before the police came to get him had kissed her on the forehead and told her not to disgrace the name. Told her in a cold voice to _‘Be a damn Lodge, you're far too grown to cry like a baby.’_ and stood with such an air of grace and easily accepted those handcuffs like he would the cufflinks from the hands of her mother.

But from the corner of her eyes, she can see Cheryl looking at her in a way that just screams sorry, and her mother is smirking like the cat that caught the canary. So Veronica plays along. She was raised in this world of backhanded compliments and disgusting underhanded sentences. She knows her role.

“The worse part is how fast it happened..”-She says instead-” he was just gone and I didn't even get to say goodbye.” She loosens her grip on the silver (which hasn't even been polished and if she was a worse person she’d comment on the state of the mansion as a whole. It looked tacky, ew) but she opts to sigh dramatically and add as if it were an afterthought her opinion on the memorial for Jason.

“I think it's so great that you're all getting a chance to say goodbye to Jason.” Suddenly it's like flood gates being opened and Veronica is given a first class seat at the horrendous state of the Blossom Family and exactly why Cheryl is the way she is.  
  
She wouldn't wish this on her worst enemy, and Cheryl is not her worst one. The fact that a mother could even say such a thing to her child has her gripping the knife white knuckled and fighting back the urge to stand and throttle the Blossom matriarch. But she does the next best thing and discreetly grabs Cheryl's hand beneath the table.

Because no one should feel alone in their own house.

 

 

 

 

 

Betty Politely offers to help Jughead get ready for the memorial, and he wants to turn her down to instead sit in a booth at Pops and just eat. He has no interest to go to this trainwreck of a memorial, but Betty reminds him that this needs to go into the blue and gold. That maybe writing about this and seeing the inside of the house will make it easier to find the killer. They need to find clues.

He didn't think she would be right.

Because he knows Polly ran away, and with Betty having told him that it was a common thing whenever things got horribly tough, he honestly expected her to pop in any minute. But when Grandmother Blossom remarks on Polly’s supposed engagement to one Jason blossom, well, to say shit hit the fan would be a ridiculous understatement.

His first thought that is that a scorned Polly killed Jason after learning she was only a conquest and fled the town to avoid any scrutiny. But when Betty takes him to the exact place she knows Polly is hiding (a place she was sent by their father no less, but this was only a secret kept from their mother. She had a habit of making things worse) it's uncovered that Polly is pregnant,  **w** i **th Jason Blossom's child.**

And suddenly all fingers are pointing at Betty’s father as the culprit. What makes it worse is how later on in the day they come to the conclusion that Betty’s father is also responsible for stealing the evidence. But suddenly all of this means nothing because word gets out that Archie is attempting to get team captain and turns it down to focus on his music.  
  
Frank is Livid but still cheers Archie’s choice, and Betty is torn between applauding her friend for following his dreams and throttling him for ruining such a good opportunity.  

Polly decides it's time to come home (only because her fiance is dead and god Jughead has never heard such heart-wrenching sobs) and it’s the night that Betty decides to kiss Jughead. He wants to think it's because of the stress that seems to overwhelm his dear friend and it reaches the perfect pinnacle that equals her kissing him. But Betty starts to look at him in the way she looks at Archie, and Jughead knows he needs to put a stop to this.

 

He thinks this is the perfect time to bail and go get a shake.

 

It's the second time he decides to sit in the same booth as Veronica. She was already sitting in the back when he walks into the diner, and she slides her chocolate milkshake toward him and hands him half her burger when he takes a seat. Whereas she used to take this time to run away and club, she took this chance to just walk outside in the middle of the night and more or less just observe the world about her and think about it.

She ended up at pops around eleven after getting into an argument with her mother. Sure she was upset that her mother was practically cheating on her father with her crush’s dad, but that was easily blown out of the water when her mother forged her signature on legal documents. But when Jughead enters the diner, she feels a wave of comfort wash over her and she really hopes he decides to sit with her; if only for a moment.  
  
She’d never say it out loud, but she’s tired of just bottling everything right up.

“...You look like the world suddenly crashed around you.” he drops himself on the opposite side of the booth and reaches for the other half of the burger. He doesn't mean to speak when she takes a bite of her own, but the words out of his mouth before he can even stop himself and suddenly she’s choking, scrambling for the milkshake glass and taking a large sip from it.

“You kissed Betty?” Jughead turns to look out the window and focuses on chewing on his meal instead of replying. He’s slumping further into the seat and Veronica can't help but laugh at the predicament he’s in.

“You know, the original meaning of the word Koi, love in Japanese, meant a longing for someone in solitude.” She wipes the corner of her mouth with a perfectly black manicured finger and tilts her head slightly in thought before continuing.  
  
“Loneliness isn't something that has to be fixed..”-and it turns from her speaking about Jughead’s obvious love issue to her own.-”Talk to her about it.”  
  
“It’s only because we’ve been hanging out a lot, trying to solve this whole murder thing.” He supplies then, dropping the burger onto the plate between them and beckoning for the milkshake glass. Veronica slides it toward him and finishes off her own half before shrugging.  
  
“If you’re worried about doing to her what Archie’s doing, tell her.” Jughead wants to scoff and tell her that it isn't that easy; he doesn't want to make the other half of the Cooper sisters sob over a boy. That he doesn't want to turn into the cliche of a guy that ends up falling for the dark and mysterious girl who moves into town.

The same girl who happens to be the source of his _‘best friend's’_ affections and his other friends best friend. He scrunches his nose in distaste.  
  
“Misunderstandings and unrequited feelings are common. This isn't Romeo and Juliet where the person you love suddenly loves you back.”  
  
“But Archie happens to like you back.” He states in a matter of fact tone. Veronica obviously bristles and then bursts into laughter.  
  
“Archie _thinks_ he likes me.”-She starts then, waving off his comment-”Just like Betty _thinks_ she likes you.” He regards her with a raised brow and Veronica sighs before continuing.

“Archie and Betty are endgame, we all know this. They just need to find themselves. I'm like Archie's rebellious phase, he has an idea of what he wants in life but i’m ultimately going to prove what he _doesn't_ want in life. It's not worth both of us ending up heart broken because we wont work out past high school and I refuse to be the reason he shoots to Taylor Swift stardom.” She looks at him pointedly before grabbing the Shake from his hand.  
  
He tries to ignore how warm her own hand is within his own or how sad she looks describing what she thinks is going to happen.

“But you like Archie?” He doesn't mean for it to come off as a question, but he can't take it back now that its out of his mouth.  
  
“I think the only reason I like Archie is because he was the first person to be genuinely nice to me in a while...and I clung to that.” -She shrugs then- “My mother also seems to have the hots for his dad, and I refuse to be part of a West Virginia relationship. How Podunk is that?”

“Ronnie.” He says slowly. She turns to him, her face is hard and he can tell she’s trying to fight back showing deeper emotion. She abruptly turns away when a waiter comes back over and mumbles an order for another shake, burger, and fries.

“When you lack meaningful connections with your peers and friends, you look for companionship and understanding. It's a basic human need.” She says when the waiter leaves with what’s left of her earlier meal.  
  
She blows a strand of black hair from her face and leans her head back onto the booth. He takes note of her heels falling onto the floor when she sifts to pull her knees to her chest. He feels like there's something neither of them are saying, but he doesn't want to suddenly go in search of it out loud.

Unfortunately, lonely sadness is a state of solitude that deprives people of the most basic need for companionship, and the fact that Veronica easily has this pinned down and seems to be simply be shoving it off the table and refusing to see it as an option is curious.

“My Dad told me once that he’s still a child at his age, and its normal to not feel smart or mature throughout your life.” Her nails are tapping lightly at the table just as the waiter places the milkshake glass between them; two straws poking out. Jughead wants to comment about how this isn't a date, but the waiter is already placing the burger and fries and turning when he opens his mouth to speak all the while Veronica is taking a sip from it.

 He isn't sure what else he can say, and Veronica seems to take note of this because she's putting money on the table and slipping back on her heels.   
  
"Night Juggy."   
  
"Night Ronnie." 

 

 

He wants to start working on the murder board before Betty gets to school. He isn't sure how he’s going to come out and say that he feels like the kiss was a mistake and hopes they can just overlook it completely, but he’s working on it. Sighing, he tugs his backpack further onto his shoulder when he hears the sound of someone speaking, and stopping just at the corner, he peeks around to see Veronica. The hand that's holding her cell phone is shaking slightly, and he takes note of the fact she’s wearing a particularly mourning tone of black and is trying not to cry.

"I just cried while eating a bowl of cereal." She says then, she's lightly running her fingertips beneath her eyes to stop her eyeliner from smudging, and Jughead thinks it's a beautiful display of what strength could be.

"Everything is draining and I'm tired of begging for good things to happen." He feels like he's interrupting even though she's unaware that he's even on the other side of the corner; so he takes a step back and presses himself against the wall. He feels horrible for eavesdropping the way that he is.

"Is being too sad an excused absence?" He hears a faint voice on the line and suddenly Veronica's sniffling in a broken manner yet mumbling _‘I love you too daddy.’_ He can hear her receding footsteps and he slides into the room reserved for the paper when he sees Sheriff Keller.  
  
He’s confused at first as to why both the Principle and Sheriff are there, but then his gaze turns to the murder board that Betty obviously did not put away and suddenly it all makes sense. The Sheriff obviously thinks he stole the evidence.  The time from him being in the school to suddenly being seated in an interrogation room is a blur and all Jughead can think of is the fact he’s going to be a scapegoat.

That they’re going to do to him what they do to every blacksheep in towns in like these; pin him for the murder of a child he never even interacted with on the basis that maybe he was picked on. That he was shoved in the locker one too many times that he decided to snap and shoot Jason. That because he accidentally set the school on fire when he was thirteen (The building didn't even go up in flames, it was just the janitors closet) that he obviously had some pent up aggression and Charles Manson levels of darkness lurking within. 

 

But blessings take all forms and his came in the form of Fred Andrews with an Alibi. The pure relief that washed over him was all too refreshing that he was sure something horrible was going to happen to wrong all the rights that happening in hopes of leveling out the balance in the universe. And Suddenly his Father was showing up obviously piss drunk and ranting; his hands flying everywhere in his attempt to prove that he was still a relevant person in Jugheads life.  
  
The Town of Riverdale was no stranger to the ghosts of the past, and it seemed that in the last week alone the spirits were ascending from the depths of hell with a reckoning. The sheer knowledge that it was his Fathers drinking and drug habits that drove him to lose his job and for his mother and sister to leave had to be the cherry on top of this sundae of shit. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> West Virginia jokes are so common in the south or at least in my family as a joke relating to incest. Veronica alludes to how incestuous it would be for her and her mother to be dating a son and father; i mean, can you imagine how weird that would be? I spent like a few paragraphs just running through the happenings in episode 6 and if you feel like i missed something, let me know and i'll address it later on or make something clearer. Also, i obviously put my opinions on bughead and varchie and had Jughead/Veronica pretty much explain what me and my sisters were talking about in regards to the sudden ships. ALSO TO X WHO GOT THE POEM FROM GARDEN OF WORDS, i keep watching scenes from the film and its such an influence on this ship omg i might just write a proper one shot based off the movie i cant help it omg.
> 
> i also have no idea what im going to do with the chapter cause episode 8 focuses so much on polly drama and idgaf so im not sure how im going to over write it...


	5. The house that built me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He wasn't raised religious, but he can understand why some people say they can feel god. Because they are seated side by side for the first time ever of their own choice and her fingers are slightly brushing against his own on the booth seat and suddenly they’re interlocking fingers.
> 
> And he understands why they call it falling in love, and not rising.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this took a while because i wasn't sure how to go about writing through the episodes that focus more so on Polly and betty and shift them so it could be Veronica and Juggy centric. So i guess this is a filler?

“I am very much fishing for compliments, i'm just waiting for the hook to pick some up.” she easily says, her face not betraying the joy in her voice as they stand in the corner of her sitting room.

Polly's baby shower is in full swing, and while she would usually be taking this time as an excuse to fawn over gifts; Veronica honestly does not care all that much. The only reason she'd offered is that Betty was her BFF, finding out the Blossoms and Coopers were coming almost made her back out a hundred percent. So she kept to herself in the corner of the room and with Jugheads arrival, they kept to themselves.

“That rocking horse is cute..” She said then before taking a sip from her glass of what he was sure was champagne. She was standing next to him, a table piled with food before them. She’d already encouraged Jughead to eat some of the sweeter foods and he’d happily obliged. He’d come as moral support for Betty, despite the fact her kiss had obviously tossed their friendship into murky waters; but she was obviously working hard to rectify it and Jughead wasn't one to stomp out all friendships.

He’s about to comment on the rocking horse when Archie flings the door open to Veronica's apartment and makes a beeline toward him.

“You were protecting him, that’s why you didn't tell me?” Jugheads gaze jumps around the room before landing on Archie, and he hopes they can manage to keep to whispers.  
  
“Relax, what happened?” Veronica is looking over her glass between the two of them, and Betty makes her way towards them and hisses at them to keep quiet.  
  
“Did you know Jugheads dad’s a serpent?” Betty’s face immediately goes white and she shakes her head.  
  
“No.” She whispers. Veronica huffs fairly loudly and places the glass on the table before her.  
  
“And my dad is in prison. What's your point Archiekins? Because not only is this Polly’s day and you decided to waltz in here and create a scene, you're doing it over something that has no bearing on your friendship.”  
  
“Take it outside or deal with it later.” Betty chimes in, her hands are crossed over her chest and she shoots Jughead a _‘we’ll talk about this later’_ look and Walks Archie out of the room.  
  
“If something like this dissolves the broship between you two, then it wasn't a good one in the first place.” She picks up her glass and holds it to Jughead.  
  
“If you finish it, I’ll just bring you more.”

 

* * *

 

The rest of the baby shower dissolves from an argument between the two families and suddenly it's just him and Betty cleaning up the sitting Area while Veronica does her thing and walks all the guests out and thanks them for coming. It's awkward between them, and Betty is doing her best to think through whatever it is she wants to say before she up and says it. She manages to catch him just by the elbow and Jughead is turning to look at her when he realizes he just missed his opportunity to leave.

“You're my friend.”-She says slowly, testing the waters between them-”And I know I kinda just threw something onto you and i’m sorry, but i want us to be friends Juggy. Without Archie having to act as a middle man. I want you to be able to come to me when you have a problem, and I want to know you. I'm here for you.” He isn't sure how he wants to respond to it all, but he hugs her.

“Aw, aren't you two adorable.” Betty pulls away from him to laugh, and Jughead turns to see Veronica. She looks amused at the situation as a whole, but he knows the Lodge princess is an ace at hiding her true emotions.

And Veronica is pissed. Not enough for her to start a problem between her two friends because, well, they're her friends. But because it feels like she needs to scrub the whole room clean now after witnessing such a thing. And if this isn't more of a reason to stay away from Jughead she isn't sure what is. Because all she can see is her best friend looking at Jughead with such puppy dog eyes and Veronica honestly wants to die.

“We got the room pretty much clean.” Jughead says then, and Veronica smiles and waves off his comment.  
  
“I can take care of the rest, you guys can just go.” Betty hugs her and lightly kisses her and Jughead takes this moment to slip out.

Veronica takes a moment to look about the room and snatches a throw pillow from the nearest couch and buries her face into it, a screech leaving her mouth. Slowly pulling her head from the pillow, she blows a strand of black hair from her face and releases a long breath.  
  
It's just stress she tells herself. This whole thing blowing up around her is due to her father being in prison and has nothing to do with Betty suddenly liking Jughead. Because Veronica isnt a mean person; she tries to be mean, but she isn't mean.  
  
And she isn't going to get between the two of them and their adorable crush.

 

The next day is fairly much non-inclusive of Veronica and she couldn't have been more thankful for the universe making it so. Archie is running around with Cheryl Bombshell and gaining favors from her family (he’d asked her opinion and she’d told him you do what you gotta do to get by in life, she was just happy he wasn't sleeping with Cheryl. The poor thing didn't need to add to the level of toxicity that was already taking over her life) and Betty had her newspaper thing going with Jughead (Scooby gang she’d called it) and Veronica wasn't sure if she was upset no one had asked her to join or because Betty seemed to be more invested in that then actually hanging out.

She's sure she’s just bored and lonely. Usually at times like these, she’d go shopping, but with the current financial state of her family she’d opted instead to spend the afternoon reading and working on school work.  
  
Ethel was nice. She seemed genuinely caring and Veronica was happy for the distraction that came in form of a bubbly red-head. Between working on papers together and taking the time to actually chat and get to know one another Veronica was happy to say she’d made another friend.

But her mother just had to up and tell her that she was indirectly involved with Ethel’s family losing all their money and that Ethel’s dad had attempted to kill himself after losing his home.  
  
She’d left school and went directly to Pops and stuck herself in the back of the diner away from prying eyes and threw herself into her schoolwork.

Archie joined her when school had properly come to an end and shared a basket of fries with her. He didn't ask her why she’d been crying and she was beyond grateful that he’d ignored her smudged eyeliner and red rimmed eyes.

“So Val broke up with me.” He’d said slowly, trying to get her attention from sadly gazing out the window; and luckily it worked.

“...Did you sleep with Cheryl?” Archie spewed soda across the table and Veronica couldn't stop herself from laughing as she passed a stack of napkins toward him. If she’d learned anything over the past three months of living in Riverdale it was that Archie was horribly prone to accidents.  
  
The Adorable klutz he was.

“No.”  
  
“So then why'd she break up with you?” She took a bite of her onion ring then and raised a brow as she waited for his response.  
  
“I don't know.” Scoffing, she pointed a perfectly manicured nail toward him and wagged it.

“You’re lying Archibald.”

“I mean, I know, but I don't want to admit that it's my fault.”  
  
“And that is a perfect step in the right direction. Apologize.” She took another bite from her onion ring before holding the other half out to him, which he took easily.  
  
“She isnt going to take me back though.”  
  
“Archie, this is about being on good terms. With everything that happened with Grundy you are just jumping around the board. Maybe you don't want a long term relationship at all.” she shrugged then before taking a sip from her milkshake.  
  
“There's nothing wrong with having a sex buddy, I think that's what you're looking for. Or just someone you can get emotional validation from. I mean everyone needs that. I think that jumping into relationships is not the way to go however.” Archie seems to contemplate it and rolls the idea over in his head before standing and leaning across the table to kiss Veronica's forehead.  
  
“Thanks Ronnie. Also..you know you can talk to me about what's bugging you.” he held a hand up to stop her from speaking.  
  
“Whenever you’re ready that is.”

Veronica wants to pull him by his stupid jacket and cry into his shoulder; she wants to just dive into this weird thing with Archie head first despite the fact she knows it will blow up in their faces. But she grips the edges of her skirt between her hands and just smiles and tells him thank you. Veronica stifles a groan and drops her head into her hands.

“I'm getting emotional over something I made up in my head.”  

  
"Seems to be going around our age bracket." Jughead stands just a few steps away from the table, still dressed in that ridiculous suit and Veronica has to physically fight herself from rolling her eyes. Because he wore it for Betty. 

To support Betty like the wonderful person he is deep down;  _Way_ deep down.  
  
"I think the scientific term is Hormonal imbalance.."   
  
" _Puberty?"_ He can't stop himself from laughing, and he's making a 'scoot in' motion with his hand. Veronica finds herself scooting closer to the window despite knowing that it would be better to just have him sit across from her. But despite the several times they'd accompanied each other on late night meals, they'd always stayed seated across from one another; and in a way the knowledge that he'd rather sit next her was comforting. 

So against her better judgment, she slid in.   
  
"Stress of the baby-shower?" he asks then and chances a quick look at her tear-stained face before turning his gaze back forward; as if he was surveying the other occupants of Pop's. Veronica shrugs slightly, but the motion ends with an awkward shrug. Because the baby-shower was stressful, her whole life, however, _Is_ stressful. 

He wasn't raised religious, but he can understand why some people say they can feel god. Because they are seated side by side for the first time ever of their own choice and her fingers are slightly brushing against his own on the booth seat and suddenly they’re interlocking fingers.

And he understands why they call it falling in love, and not rising.  
  
Her hand is soft and warm; the touch tentative. Her face is turned away from him; her gaze out the window. He can see the blush start to bloom on her cheeks and Jughead fights back the urge to make a joke about it. Even he knows when to keep quiet to not ruin a moment. 

"If it's makes you feel better, I'm a step closer to fifty tomorrow.." He says slowly in a nonchalant manner, his gaze directed to the ceiling of the diner. He can Feel Veronica's stare on him, and when he turns to look at her( her eyes glassy and a light smile on her face) he feels his heart skip a beat and the butterflies in his stomach won't stop moving.  
  
"Betty mentioned wanting to throw you a party, Archie said it wouldn't be a good idea. It's supposed to be a surprise." She winks then, a light smile on her lips. 

"Oh well, I guess it's a good thing I'll be surprised right?"   
  
"It'd break her heart if you didn't celebrate it."  
  
"I hate parties."  
  
"Sometimes birthday parties are just as much for everyone else as they are for you." She supplies with a shrug. Her attention is drawn to the window again, and Jughead and feel the stress rolling off her body in waves. he wants to make a comment about it, ask her whats bugging her; but he likes to think he understands Veronica.  
  
She'd rather keep everything to herself instead of worrying people around; she was the type of person who could drown themselves in the sorrows and troubles of the world, and still turn around and smile as if nothing were wrong. Sometimes he worries about whats going on in her head, but he thinks he's better off not saying anything. Least he break the ice princess.   
  
He pulls his hand away from her own as he moves to stand, and Veronica looks at him as if the last few moments hadn't even transpired. Like there was absolutely no feelings between them, and he knows that the Lodge princess's walls are back up full force. he wants to grab her by the shoulders and shake her; ask her why the only emotions she shows are amusement and thinly veiled anger. Ask her why her happiness seems forced.  
  
But he knows better.   
  
"I'll see you tomorrow Juggy?" It comes out more as a question than a statement, and its obvious she's attempting to test the waters between. Trying to be sure that they are still within the realm of odd friendship.   
  
"Yea." He says it over his shoulder as he walks away, and Veronica feels her body just deflate.   
  
She needs a drink. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is the birthday party and this is where I'll diverge from canon a little? im sorry if this seems rushed or shotty, ive honestly confused myself on how i want to do this while staying fairly within the bounds of the tv show. i might just write a spinoff that doesnt pay attention to canon but idk yet.


	6. Au Mon De Quoi?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Did we fucking have Brain-tumors for breakfast or something?" Betty said then as she stirred the whipped cream into her ice cream. Her head was resting on the dining table and she'd discarded her sweater in lieu of dawning the white button down she wore beneath it. Jughead's right eye was blossoming into a gnarly bruise and Archie's attention was on scrubbing beer from the carpet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the infamous party scene. This is literally just this episode. and then some. I thought you would appreciate if i put this out. Please ignore any typos, as i keep editing this each time i read it.
> 
> EDIT-I noticed for some reason paragraphs were copied? Idk how's that happened but I fixed it

"These arent my friends." Jughead says then, his mouth downturned as if he'd tasted something nasty and a weary look overtakes his eyes.

"Wow thanks for that." Veronica says in feigned hurt, her hands momentarily tightening on the box of plastic silverware she's holding before relaxing. 

It wasn't his intention to strike a nerve within the Lodge princess, and yet he did. He's seated in Archie's kitchen with betty standing before him; eyebrow arched in irritation and lips pressed thinly. She's got some flour in her hair and he can tell it was an accident on her part. 

Betty always tries to look presentable. Archie's got some icing smudged into the collar of his shirt and despite Jughead's words, he's still smiling. Kevin looks defeatedly out the window and his pants seem to have some remnant of batter on them, and his boyfriend (boytoy?) is standing beside him looking like he'd rather be anywhere but here. 

In a moment of curiosity, he turns back to Veronica not shocked to see her in pristine condition. She's relatively untouched compared to the group and he's curious as to whether or not she actually helped. But his gaze is drawn back to the box she's holding between her hands and he takes note of the chipped nail polish he knows she'd never be caught dead flaunting. He thinks that maybe she did help, even if it was to just stand there and boss everyone around to be sure things got done properly.

"You roped them into this?" he asks then, and Betty smiles before nodding her head in a triumphant manner. he's in slight disbelief at the situation as a whole and where he can understand Archie being here and Betty to an extent, he's still confused as to where Kevin, his boyfriend, and Veronica fit into this mess.

"Don't let them fool you, they were excited to be a part of it. Archie and Kevin really thought you'd appreciate a burger cake and Decorated. Veronica supplied the recipe and I mixed it all."

"No offense-" Veronica interjects then-"But after watching you get flour everywhere, I was not joining. _Especially_ after the wonder twins botched the icing." She flexes her fingers in a subconscious manner and shoots Betty and exasperated look.  
  
He can tell the cake is supposed to be a burger despite the shotty icing. He'd be lying if he didn't say he was impressed with them. Betty takes his momentary silence to start singing happy birthday and Archie quickly jumps. Kevin and Veronica share a look of annoyance but mumble the words along before telling him to make a wish.  
  
  
"feliz cumpleaños." Veronica says to him as she passes him a slice of the cake. Kevin is too involved in his boyfriend to say anything more and Archie is in the midst of cleaning up the cake he'd dropped on the floor. Betty is next to him swatting his hands away and hissing to him that he's  _'only smearing the icing around'_ and Jughead can't help but laugh a little. 

 

"Betty went through all this trouble so you could have a memorable party"-she starts then, she smearing the icing over the cake with her spoon and her attention seems to be fully immersed into the action. -"She spent all morning searching for recipies till my mom gave her this one, and she went through all this trouble and all you can say are "these arent my friends'."

 

She speaks as if it's no trouble at all as if she's stating something obvious. Her voice is in a perfectly conversational tone; but her eyes are hard. She scrunches her nose slightly at the sweetness of the cake and places the dish into the sink along with the spoon.   
  
"Kevin wanted to be here because he considers you a friend." She adds then, turning to flip the sink faucet upwards and coat her fingers in the cool water.  
  
"And you didn't want to be?" he says then, dropping the plate into the sink and gaining a sick sort of satisfaction as it splashes water onto her Black top. Slamming the faucet shut she whips her head toward him.  
  
"This isn't about me, it's about the work everyone put into this. You knew regardless this was going to happen and I told you last night we just want to show we care."  
  
" _But I didn't_ _want a party_." His voice is harsh and little louder than he intended, but it's too late for him to correct it. Because Veronica's eyes narrow and he isn't sure if he's supposed to be excited or terrified that the ice queen is finally going to show the extent of her wrath.  
  
"Stop treating people like shit just because you're unhappy with whats going in your life." She snaps back. "We're trying to be your friends."   
  
"Oh, so now it's 'we'? Are you finally including yourself in with the rest of us slummy kids?"  
  
"Why would you even say that? What is wrong with you? Can nobody show they care about you?" Betty shouts from the other side of the kitchen, her hands fisted into the pale pink sweater she's wearing.  
  
"Why would you even do this?" He fires back, motioning toward her in an accusatory manner.  
  
"Why even throw a party? What are you trying to prove? That you're a good friend? That you'd make an even better girlfriend? Whats the point, I don't get it."  
  
"People do nice things because they care." Kevin says from his place in the corner of the kitchen.   
  
"And it doesn't give you an excuse to act all high and mighty because of it. Keep this up and you'll be alone like you really want." Betty continues, her voice tired.   
  
"Because there's a difference between being alone and lonely." She grabs a paper towel from the table and flings open the freezer, grabbing a handful of icing and wrapping it before placing it on the table and motioning toward Veronica.   
  
"Im weird." he says then, slowly yet surely.

"Im always wearing this stupid hat, have you ever seen me without it?I dont go out, im writing a fucking murder mystery based on a very real and true story, and you thought i'd appreciate a birthday party? Did Archie not tell you i hate surprises?" Archie turns toward Jughead then, the mess on the floor clean but his jeans stained due to the fact his haphazardly wiped his hands across them.   
  
"she didn't believe me." He answers with a shrug, his attention focused on cleaning the icing from his jeans VIA a paper towel. It's not as if he ignored the situation as a whole, but he knew something like this was bound to happen when all his friends were together in a room. Unfortunately, they all had very strong personalities, but he didnt expect it to explode right after the cake was cut.   
  
Betty is placing the ice onto Veronica's hand, and she hisses at the contact.   
  
"Maybe we shoulder respected your wishes,  _I shoudlve respected your wishes._ But i thought you would like the sentiments that came with it. This isnt about being anyone's girlfriend, its about being a friend. This is what we do. Bake a shitty cake, try to decorate it and panic when they notice they didnt set the timer and end up grabbing the pan from the oven."-She side eyes Veronica then who in turn rolls her eyes at the comment and mumbles 'yea we get it'-" its the sentiments Juggy. Just let us be your friends."  
  
"And maybe a misfit family of sorts." Kevin pipes in with a smile. "Besides, we got you some present that we're sure you'd appreciate." 

* * *

 

He'd gotten an array of presents from his friends. Betty had gotten him a collection of Alfred Hitchcock films, Archie had grabbed a book titled 'how to get away with murder', and Kevin tossed him an array of notes his father had taken on the case.   
  
Veronica's gift was wrapped ostentatiously and he had to fight the urge to roll his eyes at the wrapping she'd chosen. Fucking crowns.  
  
She was still in the kitchen with Betty, Bandaging her fingers that had slight burns. While his heart swelled knowing she'd gone to the point of burning herself to help bake his cake, he couldnt stop the distaste that overtook his mouth knowing he'd caused so much strife. 

  
But they'd brought it on themselves. And he wasn't sure if that should make him happy or sad.  
  
He tore into the wrapping paper with little care and Archie laughed as he pointed out the irritation that he was probably going to stir in the Lodge Princess. Apparently she'd meticulously wrapped it several times because Betty had deemed it ' _too sloppy'_.

He's opening the box when there's a knock at the door and Archie's moving to answer it. His eyes land on what he assumes is a leather bound note book, his insignia etched into its surface and his name engraved into the inside of the cover.  
  
Hes shocked that she'd even managed to get his full name, let alone afford something like this considering her financial situation. He's moving to stand when suddenly an influx of people enter the Andrews residence and Cherl is standing before him.  
  
"Happy birthday weirdo. Let's throw you a real party.

* * *

 

_Cheryl once said that she teaches people 'real life'. She said 'Real life sucks losers dry. you want to fuck with the eagles you have to learn to fly.'  She pushed a senior to tears during the spring formal and easily cut useless people from her life. She was a smart, lonely and child with deep-seeded issues. She used her razor sharp wit to tear apart teenage boys and her IQ to decide what shade of red lipstick to wear in the morning and how to hit three keggers before her curfew._

 

If Jughead didn't hate this party when they brought out the cake, he definitely hated it now. It was far too loud, and keeping to himself in the garage was the best bet; at least until his father showed up spewing some shit about how they were family and they needed to stick together. He'd stormed from the garage into the house in an attempt to find Betty but instead came across Cheryl.  
  
"It's the birthday boy, how about we play a game? I'm sure you'll enjoy it." He wasnt sure how he found himself seated in the living room between Archie and Betty but there he was.  
  
"We're going to play true or false."  
  
"Cheryl sto-" Veronica started before immediately being Silenced by Cheryl.  
  
"Butt out Closet monster, we're only going to tell the truth here. So Birthday boy, is it true the drive in was purchased by an unknown Buyer?" Jughead looked at Cheryl in pure confusion before nodding, his face contorted between irritation and weariness.  
  
"Duh. We all know that."  
  
"Well, Is it true Veronica that your mother met up with a serpent to give him money on the night of the final drive in movie?"   
  
"Why are you even doing this?"   
  
"And is it also true that the anonymous buyer happened to be one Hiram Lodge who is currently incarcerated and your father?"   
  
"Cheryl, what the fuck. I thought you were friends?" Betty shot upright then.  
  
"Oh and you're so innocent little miss bipolar?" Veronica turned her to glare at Chuck and moved to stand before Betty; her hand gripping the blonde's wrist.   
  
"What is even the point of all this?" Veronica shot back, her eyes hard and gaze trained on Cheryl.   
  
"What was the point of you handcuffing me in a hot tub and trying to drown me? Because your little psycho friend here belongs in the nuthouse, along with her boyfriend." Immediately Jughead launched himself at Chuck.  
  
Everything at that point dissolved into a brawl between Chuck and Jughead. Cheryl snapped out a comment about Betty's state of mind and Neither Archie nor Betty were prepared for Veronica to take a step toward Cheryl and Slap her; a string of Spanish leaving her lips as she did so.   
  
It was if everything froze.  
  
F.P emerged from somewhere in the house and took the pause as an opportunity to pull Chuck from atop Jughead.  
  


* * *

 

"Did we fucking have Brain-tumors for breakfast or something?" Betty said then as she stirred the whipped cream into her ice cream. Her head was resting on the dining table and she'd discarded her sweater in lieu of dawning the white button down she wore beneath it. Jughead's right eye was blossoming into a gnarly bruise and Archie's attention was on scrubbing beer from the carpet.   
  
Veronica busied herself with walking about with a trash bag; her and Jughead tossing trash into it in an attempt to get the house in a more manageable condition.   
  
"Everyone was sipping the Koolaid." Jughead said easily as he threw random plates and cans into the bag.

"My dad is going to kill me."  
  
"he's going to kill everyone, Archie." Kevin groaned out as he attempted to get the kitchen straightened out.   
  
Sighing, Veronica kicked off her heels just before climbing the steps; maneuvering around beer stains and cans, the trash bag hanging from her hand. Jughead followed closely behind her, a curse leaving his lips at the sheer state of the house; instant regret flowing through him for not talking Archie out of it sooner.  
  
Despite the fact he highly enjoyed watching Veronica Slap Cheryl.  
  
"What'd she say anyway?" he asked then. Veronica was bending down to grab several cans when she stopped mid motion to turn and look at him in a confused manner.  
  
"Cheryl, what'd Cheryl say that set you off like that?"  
  
"its not important." She's shoving the cans into the trash bag when Jughead Scoffs.  
  
"it was important enough for you to slap Cheryl, which is crazy considering you both are friends."  
  
"We weren't friends." She interjected.  
  
"Mutual enemies more like it. We knew we hated each other. if anything I was like her pseudo therapist. I don't know. She has a lot of shit going on-we all do. But that's no excuse to barge in on a gathering of friends, start slinging out shit and then coming after Betty like that."   
  
"I'm not disagreeing-" Jughead says then, holding the trash bag open for her as she throws a half-full bottle of vodka into it-"Im just asking what she said to set you off like that."  
  
"Something uncalled for about Betty and Polly. I didn't mean to hit her, it just happened." She slouched over in defeat, a pile of half empty cans at her feet. She's lightly running her fingertips over the palms of her hands when she turns and looks at him.  
  
it's in the darkness coated hallway that Jughead grabs Veronica's hands lightly in his own. Her lips are pressed into a tight line but can tell she's fighting back a blush at the way her nose scrunches. He raises her hand to his lips and lightly kisses each of her fingertips; his lips feather light against the tenderness of the burns.   
  
Her red coated lips open and a shocked gasp escapes them; her hand shaking slightly in his grip when he leans forward to press his own forehead against her own.   
  
"Thank you." His voice is deep and raspy, and the words shakily leave the comforts of his mouth. Veronica nods slowly, her eyes darting to look at his own before she nuzzles her nose against his.   
  
"You're welcome."   
  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have i thought through the happenings of episode 13 and what im going to do after? 
> 
> yes.
> 
> Im torn between waiting till the new season or just writing this and editing as the new season comes out, let me know what you guys think.
> 
> Also, i did quote Heathers during jughead's monologue about Cheryl, i felt like it would be perfect to add that in.


End file.
